Tale of Misfits
by RaisingArizona
Summary: Alia's life took a turn for the dark side when her father was killed in Kalos. After an incident that left her with a few broken bones and a deep mistrust for Pokémon, she moves back to her old hometown of Littleroot in Hoenn to recover. Professor Birch gives her a challenge in the form of a shiny Mudkip, who disliked humans, and they set out on a strange journey together.


**Hello, dear readers! I decided that I was going to make a story for the games, especially since I admin a Pok****émon page. I love to write and I've always wanted to post a Pokémon story. So let's see how this goes. This chapter is basically the intro chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: New Beginnings**

It was strange to be back in Hoenn after everything that had happened. My mother decided that it would do me some good if we moved back to the region I had been born in. She told me that my mental state would improve and so would my health, which had begun to spiral out of control because of all the stress. Not only that, but she told me that she would allow me the chance to go on an adventure once I had been given a Pokémon. Just the thought of being around one for all that time sent a cold chill down my spine, especially since I wanted nothing to do with them, but my mom said it would do me some good to slowly become comfortable with them again.

I was in the moving truck so I could watch over our things and playing on a portable gaming system, one that helped keep my moods stable, when a bump in the road jostled me a little. I hissed in pain, my left leg and right wrist sending jolts of pain through me and I doubled over with my wrist clutched to my chest. About a week ago, my left leg and right wrist had been broken. I still had a month or two left before the casts could be taken off and I was beyond ready for that to happen. I was going to find a way to go back to the place that we had lived previously and get my revenge.

After a while, I could feel the truck gradually slowing down before it was parked. My mother said that we were going back to our old town, Littleroot to be specific. I grabbed my crutches and forced my injured body to a standing position just as the doors to the truck opened. I hobbled out of the truck and noticed the hand of a Machoke outstretched so it could help me. I flinched away without noticing, refusing to be helped out of the truck and instead finding a way to get down on my own. I gave a muffled thanks to the Machoke even though I didn't accept its help and slowly made my way over to where my mother was standing in front of our new house.

"There you are, Alia!" she exclaimed, giving me a bright smile that I hadn't seen in at least a year. "How was the ride in the truck? I hope it wasn't too bumpy for you."

"It wasn't bad," I said, leaning on my crutches and pushing my long, shaggy blue-black hair over my shoulders, along with shifting my bangs and hair that framed my face out of the way so I could see.

My mom looked over at the Machoke that were helping unload the things from the truck and gave them a pleasant wave. "They sure do work fast!" she exclaimed. "They've almost finished with everything as we speak! Come inside and you can go take a nap in your room when they leave. I know that the pain medication makes you tired."

I nodded and followed behind her as she led the way. I was rather exhausted after the ride to Littleroot and was indeed ready for a nap. When we walked inside, I watched the Machoke put things in their proper places before they walked our way. Once again, I flinched a little when they got too close, but my mother quickly gave them a bow of thanks before they left the house. After that, she helped me to get up the stairs to my room, where she also assisted with getting into bed. She pulled the blankets up over me and then headed over to the clock, where she quickly set the time before turning back to me.

"I know that things have been difficult for you… especially after your father passed away," she said hesitantly, giving me an apologetic look for broaching the topic, "but I just want you to know that I love you, darling. That's why we had to move back to Hoenn. I couldn't bear to watch you spiral out of control with your grief. They could have injured you so much worse and—"

"Mom, stop," I cut her off, speaking softly. "I understand why you did what you did. Don't think that I hold a grudge for that."

"Alright," she said with a warm smile. "I'll let you get your rest now. Just yell for me when you wake up and I can help you back down the stairs."

"Thanks, Mom." She quickly walked out and left me in peace so I could take a nap.

* * *

"Alia, dear!" I heard my mother call for me from the bottom of the stairs a few hours later, rousing me from sleep. "You have a visitor! I guess the news of our arrival travels fast!"

"I'll be down in a minute!" I sleepily yelled back, gradually making my body sit up and untangled myself from the blanket so I could hoist my injured leg over the side of the bed.

"No no! Stay where you are! He'll come to you!"

I could hear her say something quietly to the visitor, who immediately began to run up the stairs. Before I knew it, the familiar face of an old friend appeared. He had a joyous expression on his face when he first showed up but when he caught sight of me, it shifted to extreme worry. He ran over to me and kneeled in front of me, his blue eyes blazing with concern.

"Alia, I was so happy to hear that you moved back to Littleroot, but what happened to you?!"

"Nice to see you, too, Brendan," I told him with a wan smile before tugging on his white hat and then the strips of hair that framed his face. "You look different from when I last saw you."

"You've always had a knack for avoiding questions," he grumbled. "So many things have happened with your family ever since all of you moved to Kalos for your dad's job. I noticed that he isn't here. Is he going to be arriving soon?"

I felt the smile leave my face and I turned my gaze to the floor. "Actually, he died about a year ago…"

"I'm sorry, Alia," he said gently. "But what is the cause behind your injuries?"

"Well, my father became the Champion there for quite some time, for a few years before Diantha came on the scene," I explained. "It was around the time that this group of people was formed that meant to harm everyone in the region. A year ago, things began to escalate to the point where my father had to do something. He wanted to nip it in the bud before this group could do serious damage. Their leader is deranged and killed my father when he tried to stop them. After that day, I swore revenge on them, regardless of the fact that I don't have any Pokémon and didn't want to be around them after what happened to my dad. I did all I could to sabotage their plans up until a week ago. A whole group of them ambushed me at what I thought was their base, only to discover that it was a fake location to trap me in. They attacked me, both human and Pokémon alike, and left me there after they tried to beat me into submission. They told me that if I kept interfering, they would do worse to me. That was why my mom thought it would be a good idea to get me out of there."

"Oh, Alia…" he said on a sigh. "You always were the type who would sacrifice yourself for your ideals. Your mom did the right thing. I'm glad that you are back home and in almost one piece." He gave me a hug, mindful of my injuries and everything, before he gave me a quick wave and ran back downstairs.

I sighed a little before looking down, noticing something lying there where Brendan had been kneeling. It was shiny and I had to stretch a little to grab it. When it was in the palm of my hand, I noticed that it was the good luck charm I made for him just before my family and I had to leave for Kalos. I smiled a little at the memory and hefted myself to my feet, hobbling over to the stairs with my crutches and fully intending to go give it to him. Getting down the stairs was difficult, but not impossible. My mother scolded me for doing it on my own, but seemed to smile a little when I told her that I was going over to Brendan's house to give him something he dropped. She told me to be careful and went back to watching TV.

As I hobbled along over to the house beside ours, I heard a muffled scream coming from Route 101. I normally wouldn't have cared but I recognized the voice, so I moved as fast as I possibly could with crutches and made it out into an area with lots of grass that Pokémon would typically hang out at. It wasn't long before I could see the Professor of this region, Professor Birch, running around while being chased by a Poochyena. When he caught sight of me, he gave me a happy smile that meant he at least recognized me.

"I'd know that face anywhere!" he exclaimed. "It's little Alia! I'm so glad to see you! Will you do me a favor and grab a Poké Ball from my bag? I would really love the help!"

Even though I wanted nothing to do with Pokémon, I knew I wasn't in any condition to help him out on my own. I hobbled over to the bag and was about to do my best to reach inside to grab one when I noticed a Poké Ball off to the side that must have rolled out during the scuffle. For some reason, that one drew me in and I picked it up without a moment's hesitation. After clicking the button on the Poké Ball and throwing it into the air, I saw a flash of light zip down to the ground in front of me before it faded to reveal a Pokémon. Standing there was a little Mudkip, but what surprised me the most was its color. Instead of being the normal blue color, this one was a mix of light purple. Not only that, but it had this angry, irritated look about it.

"Listen up, little Mudkip," I told it simply. "We just need to work together this once. All I ask is that you help me with getting Professor Birch out of this situation." It gave me a harsh look that turned blank after a few seconds before giving me a nod. I took it as a good sign before calling out, "Alright, use Water Gun!"

I was surprised by how effortless the Mudkip made it seem, jumping to attention and blasting the Poochyena away from the Professor in seconds. It used Water Gun again and knocked the other Pokémon unconscious before walking over to me. Its stony eyes held no animosity towards me, which was surprising again since it was hostile in the beginning. I gave it a nod and returned it back to its Poké Ball the next second.

"Well, that's interesting," I heard Professor Birch say as he picked up his bag.

"What is?"

"I usually bring in Pokémon for young Trainers to start with, but this Mudkip was brought in from a reserve. Apparently, the other Pokémon there thought he was too different and began to torment him. He was sent in to me so I could find a way to make him less hostile. Alia, it took you a minute to accomplish what I hadn't in a month."

"What are you saying?" I asked suspiciously.

"I'm saying that I think I would like for you to take this Mudkip as your starter," he said with a kind smile. "Your mom told me all about she wanted you to have a Pokémon so you could get used to them again and I think both you and the Mudkip would benefit from this arrangement. Please, will you let him back out of his Poké Ball again?" I did as I was asked to do and let the Mudkip out, who immediately turned to me in confusion before turning to Professor Birch. "Mudkip, you are going to become partners with my son's friend, Alia. I think you'll find her to be worthy of your trust one day. Maybe she'll even give you a proper name right now."

The Mudkip nodded after a few second's pause before leaping up at me and landing on my shoulder before I had the chance to flinch. I tilted my head to the side for a few seconds before finally saying, "Ryzen. I like that name for him."

"Ryzen it is," Professor Birch said. "Now, I think it's time for the both of you to head back to your home for the time being. I think you both need some time to get used to the other."

With the Mudkip riding on my shoulder, I hobbled back to the house with my crutches. The Mudkip never relaxed once until I reached my room, where he could go off to a corner and watch me warily. I felt the same way about him and we didn't acknowledge each other until nighttime. It was cold that night since we were relatively close to a large body of water. I had just managed to situate myself within the blankets and looked over to see that the Mudkip was shivering as it tried to get comfortable. Even I wasn't so heartless and before long, I adjusted the blankets a little.

"Ryzen, you can come over here," I said softly. "Come and get warm for the night. After that, you can avoid me all you want."

The Mudkip made a huffing noise in response, refusing to look at me. I shrugged my shoulders before settling into a comfortable position. _I've given him the option,_ I thought to myself. _I'm sure he'll make the right call when he gets cold enough._ And I was correct in guessing so. About half an hour later, just before I managed to drift off to sleep, I heard the pitter-patter of little feet moving closer before a tiny thing jumped up onto the bed. I could feel him shivering as he settled closer to my body, resting his head on the pillow so that my chin was resting against his head, so I pulled the blankets up on us both. His shivering slowly got better until he was fast asleep and snoring lightly. I thought for sure he'd be the type that wouldn't sleep next to someone he didn't trust, but I was pleasantly surprised over the situation.

After that night, things improved between Ryzen and me. We trusted each other just enough to be around the other and I finally introduced him to my mother. "Oh, he's so cute!" she exclaimed when I carried him over to her in my arms. He didn't seem very happy about being called cute and he definitely didn't want my mother to get closer. She looked rather puzzled behind his coloring and soon asked, "Wait, aren't Mudkip supposed to be blue?"

"Professor Birch said that he's a shiny Pokémon," I explained to her. "He's my new partner and his name is Ryzen."

"I think that you're perfect for each other," my mom said cheerily. Whatever else she was going to say was cut off as the front door was shoved open and I could see Brendan standing there.

"I just heard from my dad that you've got a partner now!" he yelled excitedly, moving closer when he noticed Ryzen in my arms. "Hey, it's the shiny Mudkip that my father was trying to tame."

"Tame?" my mom asked worriedly. "What do you mean, Brendan? He looks tame now."

"That's all thanks to your daughter, ma'am," Brendan said with a proud little smile. "That Mudkip was bullied by other Pokémon and became mistrustful of others. Within a few minutes of meeting each other, Alia accomplished what my father couldn't do in a month of being in his care."

"My Alia always had a way with Pokémon, even if there was a point in time where she feared them."

"I still don't trust them," I told them both, "but I do trust this one." Ryzen made a noise of agreement and I felt a slight smile form on my face.

"Look at that, she's smiling!" Brendan laughed. He looked so innocent that I instantly remembered why I had left the house yesterday in the first place. I pulled the good luck charm out of my pocket and handed it to him, his expressions shifting from confusion to relief. "I didn't even know I left it here. Thank you for giving it back to me, Alia."

We decided to talk about everything under the sun and then I remembered my other childhood friend. "Hey, what happened to May?"

"Oh, she went on her journey yesterday, just before you arrived," Brendan explained. "She said that she'd wait for me to get there and that she had to stay with her father over in Petalburg City anyway."

"I nearly forgot that her dad is the Gym Leader there," I laughed a little.

"She took a Torchic as her partner and I have my Treecko. You and I should have a battle soon."

"Let's wait until I can actually walk around on my own without crutches," I told him with a small smile.

After that day, Ryzen and I were making more progress in the field of trust. I wouldn't flinch around him and he wouldn't hesitate to be around me. We soon surmised that we were alike. Our bond grew and I never went anywhere without him. However, I couldn't stand having him in a Poké Ball and he despised being in one. He slept with his head underneath my chin so he could snuggle against me for warmth. We were in perfect sync with each other and he was the only Pokémon I wanted.

A month later and the day before I could have my casts removed, I learned that I could actually understand what he was saying. I was in a rotten mood because my leg itched beneath the cast, but I couldn't find anything to scratch it with. I asked Ryzen to track down a pencil and he looked around a little until he found one, bringing it over to me and I quickly shoved it down the cast to scratch my skin. I sighed when the itch went away, collapsing against the pillows when I finally felt better.

_Strange…_

I was on high alert when I heard that voice, looking around for someone to be standing in my room. When I didn't find anyone, I thought for sure that I must have imagined it. I looked down at the Mudkip before asking, "Did you hear that?"

_No,_ he said quickly. Again, I jumped when I heard a voice but it took me a few seconds to realize where it was coming from. I picked up Ryzen and held him in the air in front of me.

"Are you the one who is speaking?" I asked him.

_Perhaps…_ The Mudkip rolled his eyes a little and I sighed in relief.

"I must be going crazy if I can hear you talking to me," I told him with a smile. "Guess I'll have to ask either Brendan or Professor Birch about what's going on here." Ryzen wouldn't say anything after that, so I could only assume that he was a quiet Pokémon.

The morning of the next day, a doctor arrived to take off the casts, Ryzen watching the whole time with mild curiosity. When they came off, I looked down at my wrist and noticed that it was really skinny and frail looking. Ryzen came over and sniffed my wrist before jumping down to sit on my lap. The doctor told me when he was finished collecting the pieces of the cast that I had to walk around on the crutches for a week or so, just until I get my balance back. When the doctor left, I grabbed my backpack, which I had gathered all of my things the night before, and hugged my mother good-bye.

"I want you to promise that you'll stay safe while you're out on your adventure," she told me when we took a step back. "Try to call me whenever you can, just so I know that you're safe. It would be one less thing to worry about."

"You got it, mom," I told her with a small smile, one that only made her look even more worried.

"I have one last request," she said softly. "Don't do anything rash out there. You've always been headstrong and wild. I just don't want to get a call from the hospital, telling me that you're in the emergency room because you were brutally beaten. It was frightening enough the first time and I'm afraid that it could be even worse the next."

"I won't do anything like that again," I promised. "I've got Ryzen to look out for. I don't want anything to happen to him."

My mother nodded a little before looking down at the Mudkip in my arms. "Try to watch out for my daughter. Don't let her do anything too crazy."

_I won't,_ I heard Ryzen say. I knew I had to be the only one who was hearing this and I was so confused.

I walked out of the house with Ryzen riding on my shoulder while I used my crutches, slowly walking with them so I put some weight on the leg that had been in a cast. "I can hear you talk," I said softly. "I'm sure of it now. Am I going crazy or is this normal?"

_You don't seem crazy,_ Ryzen said earnestly but then remained silent again.

I made my way over to the lab as fast as I could, fully intent on asking the professor about this subject. The moment I threw open the doors and walked inside, I caught sight of someone I didn't recognize. He was taller than me by at least six inches and was wearing a blue shirt with a design from some anime show, along with a black hoodie that unzipped and dark jeans. What struck me as unique was the fact that he had snowy white hair that was shaggy and fell past his ears and the most vibrant violet eyes I had ever seen. As he turned to look at me, his hands in his pockets of his jeans, he had this disinterested stare that made him seem bored. There was a growling noise that could be heard and a hostile looking Shinx appeared by his feet, growling up at the Mudkip that rested on my shoulder. Instantly, Ryzen stood up and gave the Shinx a death glare that had it growling even more. I should have felt anxious being around a Pokémon that I didn't know, but Ryzen was making me feel better.

"Ah, there you are, Alia!" a voice called out and I saw Professor Birch appear from behind a few bookcases. "I see that you and your Mudkip are getting along well. I was a little worried, but your mother called to give me updates. You seem to trust him, just like he trusts you."

"We came to an agreement," I explained with a tiny shrug, being careful so that Ryzen wouldn't fall off.

"Well, that's good to hear. I'm glad that you came here just when you did," the professor said with a smile before nodding in the direction of the strange guy with the Shinx. "I'd like you to meet Luca and his partner, Raiden. They just moved here from Sinnoh and are about to go on their adventure. Since you're about to go on your own, I figured that you could lead him around for however long he needs."

"That girl is on crutches," Luca finally said, his stare turning harsh. "She looks like the wind could blow her over and yet you want her to lead me around?"

"She'll only be on crutches for a week," Professor Birch told him. "She just had the casts taken off of her wrist and leg. I think she's the perfect person for the job and I'll even contact my son so that he checks up on the two of you every so often."

"Trust me, I know the region better than most," I told him smugly.

"That's funny because I thought that Professor Birch said something about how you moved here from Kalos," he said sarcastically. "Good luck with that."

"I was born here, idiot," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "My father flew around the region with me with I was five and showed me every city over a week long period. I'm pretty good at finding things in different cities."

"Looks like you two should get along!" Professor Birch said with a grin, although I obviously couldn't see how that could be true. One of his lab assistants came over to me with a red device, one I instantly recognized as a Pokédex. That same lab assistant gave one to Luca before walking away. "The Pokémon you meet will be registered in your Pokédex. Try to register as many as you can."

As Luca walked out of the lab with his Shinx, I said, "Professor, there is something I want to ask you about."

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Is it possible to hear a Pokémon speak and actually understand them?"

"Actually, it's quite possible," he laughed kindly. "After a while, both a Trainer and their partner can reach a point where their bond is strong enough that they can understand each other perfectly. The Trainer can understand their partner's words. Some Trainers don't like to wait that long and will buy a translator, which is basically a collar that goes around the Pokémon's neck and translates their words. However, there are a lucky few people that can understand what all Pokémon are saying, whether this happens at birth or is developed later. I'm guessing that you can understand your Mudkip?"

"So far, he's the only one."

After that, we said our last parting words before I walked out of the lab with my crutches. Just as I opened the door, I could hear someone speak. _I don't like this girl and I especially don't like her Mudkip. They're both equally weird and that's why they're perfect for each other. It's amazing that neither of them have been killed._ I shoved open the door in a bout of anger, catching sight of the Shinx jumping in surprise.

"Just because we're misfits, we deserve to die, huh?" I asked, noticing the Shinx looking guilty and I focused my anger on it. "No one deserves what we've been through and for your information, we have almost died and it wasn't a pleasant experience."

With that, I pushed my crutches into the grass and started to hobble away on my own. My leg ached a little but I kept going until I reached the edge of town. I was tired out and decided to take a quick break when I heard someone call my name. I turned around just as Luca caught up to me, the Shinx on his shoulder and my crutches under his arm. He grabbed them and extended them to me but I wouldn't take them.

"You look tired and you're limping," he told me. "Also, don't mind Raiden. He's a little grumpy about having to come here. He wanted to stay in Sinnoh instead of coming here."

"I wanted to stay in Kalos," I said bitterly. "But here I am."

"Professor Birch said that there was an incident over there that caused you to be severely injured," he said quietly. "What happened to you?"

"Alright, we obviously need to create some ground rules," I said quickly, turning a little to gaze into his violet eyes angrily. "We don't know each other and I don't trust you, so let's get something straight. I'm not telling you about my backstory and you don't have to tell me yours either. Let's just keep things formal so we don't get to know each other better."

I took the crutches from him and walked away, heading towards Route 101 as Ryzen moved closer to my ear. _Was that wise?_ the Mudkip whispered questioningly.

"I think it was," I whispered back. "The fewer people who know about what happened to me, the better."

_What if he can one day become an ally?_ Ryzen asked. _Who knows, maybe you'll become accustomed to this human and he'll be a friend._

"I don't want any more friends. If they get hurt because of me, I'll be hurt as well."

"I can hear you talking up there," Luca called out, "and it's kind of strange since all I can hear is your voice. Who are you talking to?"

"Ryzen," I called back as we stepped out onto Route 101.

"You can talk to Pokémon?"

"I haven't been able to before, so I'm not quite sure why I can now. Either way, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It helps more than I expected."

We stayed silent the rest of the way and trained a little so that our partners were more accustomed to fighting. Ryzen did quite well, especially making sure that none of the wild Pokémon could get too close to me. I was very proud of the shiny Mudkip that was my partner and he seemed rather happy. Together, with Luca and his Shinx, we made it to Oldale Town just before the sun set.


End file.
